Apparatus for wrapping cigarettes with tin-foil or the like.



PATENTEDA NOV. 12, 1907.

A. GODFREY. APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING GIGARETTBS WITH TIN FOIL OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1906.

8 SHBETSSHEET 1.

PATENTED NOV. 12, 1907.

- A. GODFREY. APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING OIGARETTBS WITH TIN FOIL OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1906.

8 SHEETSSHBBT 2.

No. 870,623. PATENTED NOV. 12, 1907. A A. GODFREY.

APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING GIGARETTES WITH TIN FOIL OR THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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I I I y 1 mm 't\ 6 Q Q W/T/VFSSES l/vf/vrap UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED GODFREY, or LONDON, E'NGIAND.

APPAR TUS FOR WRAPPING oreann'r'rns WITH TIN-FOIL onzrnn LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedNov. 12, 1907.

Application filed May 2.1906. Serial no. 268.623.

To all who'm it may concern:

Be it known" that I, ALFRED GODFREY, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at- WoodGreen, London, England, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Apparatus for Wrapping Cigarettes with Tin=Foil or the Like, of which the following is a'specification. I

This invention relates to apparatus for wrapping packages of cigarettes or similar goods in tin foil and the like, and consists in improvements in various parts of the apparatus as patented to me under N0. 7 70427 and dated the th September 1904 by which improvements the apparatus is better adapted to accurately fold the package without disturbance of the'layers of cigarettes therein, to deal with cigarettes either wet or dryand of" even slight variation in thickness, to smoothly fold tin foil or like covering material of varying resilience, to nip and definitely crease the edges of packages, to avoid all dangers from tobacco dust and to be more quickly started and stopped.

In the apparatus as patented to me under No. 770427 of1904, the packages, after a first and second foldof the tin foil as they passed into a matrix through a die plate under a plunger and upon a reciprocating table, received athird fold, and the end folds were given in a rigid hoi-izontal tunnel, the entering upperedge of which made the third fold, and the packages ejected each other as they were successively pushed into the' tunnel 'bya horizontal pusher.

By my present improvement, I provide a lifting and descending roof to the said horizontal tunnel, operated by a cam and pivoted lever, and the 'said roof may be provided with transverse gage ribs, so as to insure compact packing and a definitely shaped corner to the packets, while, in conjunction with an under lifting and dropping pusher they practiczilly at all times hold and move each package individually during its passage through the tunnel and also form a portion of the matrix. The lifting and dropping under pusher is operated, with a lost motion of rest at each end of its stroke, by a stud upon a pushing plunger as described in the specification to the said Letters Patent No.

770427 of 1904 and receives the required drop at one.

' endof its stroke and a lift at the other by a cam and lever. The vertical fingers of the said under pusher, when atfthe end of the stroke towards the inatrix, form a door or barrier at the mouth of the horizontal tunnel forming thus one side of the matrix.

To effect the third-fold onthecigarette package as it'passes from the matrix, a depending steel shield is provided, not quite down to the ultimate level of the top of the package, to allow any irregularly shaped cigarette to pass under it, thus forming only a loose fold. ,Behind this, and to complete a tighter fold, a

fixed plate is provided above the moving roof of the tunnel, from which depend a series of narrow tongues passing through the moving roof of the tunnel, the tongues'being of so narrow a width, that when pressing down the foil to the required size of package, an irregularly shaped cigarette will pass under such fixed tongues without tending to be rolled up upon its neighbor. The moving roof, before mentioned, then descends .upon the top of thepacka ges smoothing all irregularities and holding the package against the withdrawal of the receding pusher plunger, and further in conjunction with the lower pusher, holds the package, while the end folds are made by the mechanism as described in the specification to- Letters Patent No. 770427 of 1904.

I also provide a rising and falling lever, operated simultaneously with the rising and falling roof of the tunnel, which carries fingers forming, when the bottom lever has risen to the top of its travel,'a door to the entrance to the tunnel, after a package of cigarettes has been pushed into it. Should therefore there be any loose cigarettes in the tunnel, by reason of the absence of the foil or otherwise, they are prevented from falling back into the matrix, but must pass on to the discharge. The pivoting flap described in the said specification for making the second fold over the package when at the bottom of the matrix, is now extended to reach over the whole layer of cigarettes to insure a fiat upper surface to the package, and to put back into position any cigarettes that may have risen, and this flap may be operated by a separate cam motion from the operating shaft. Where the foil is resilient, or lined with tissue paper, or requires a forcible nipto maintain its 'folded position, I can now effect a forcible nip without the fouling of the package in the tunnel by reason of' the rising and descending rool. I therefore for this purpose, cause the end folders which have cup-shaped projections to come home upon the edges of the roof of the tunnel and the base, and thus obtain a nip or raised edge on the foil along the edges of the ends of the packages, which makes a permanent fold, and serves to bind together the upper and lower folded flaps.

To avoid the danger of the accumulation of dust on or among the working parts, I support the under platform of the matrix upon the ends of horizontal parallel bars, and thus, without fixed sliding ways as heretohas been found important also that the operator While handling the foil, should be able to quickly and rapidly stop and start the. mechanism at any time, while theator by placing the guide for the plunger at theback of the plunger relatively to the operator. And in order that my invention. may be the better understood, 1 now proceed to describe the same, reference being had to the drawings hereto attached and tothe' letters and figures marked thereon.

Figure 1 is a sectional detail of the machine showing the new arrangements as to the tunnel. Fig. 1 is a front view of the metallic feed board. Fig. 2 is a plan of the tunnelwith the upper part removed showing the. under fixed face. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the tunnel. Fig. 4 is a detail view in elevation and plan of the tunnel roof. Fig. 5 is an elevation and plan of the under tunnel bar. Fig. 6 is an elevation, plan,

and an end view of the under platform of the matrix.

. Fig. 7 is an elevation and plan of the fixed floor of the tunnel. Fig. 8 is an elevation and plan of the sliding under pusher, while Fig.1 9- is an elevation, plan and end elevation of the rocking segment carrying the above pusher. Fig. .l0is an elevation, plan and end view of the flapper at the top edge of the tunnel. Fig. 11 shows a. vertical section. of the plunger and feed gripper of the machine. Fig. 12 shows a plan of the feed gripper; Fig. 13 is an enlarged view of the horizontal tunnel with the lever 0 shown therewith. Fig. 14 is another similar view showing the cigarette packet moved on one space. Fig. 15 is a sectional view through the tunnel with the cup projections shown as making ridges upon the envelop.

To obtain a definite feed of the foil towards the matrix Iapply a special feed clamp; The metallic feed board p operated by the lever 71. and the cam 11. is fitted so that the clamp n rests upon the foil by reason of its own weight. It operates as follows:'lhe clamp 11. .is mounted on the feed board p by ccntcrs W and as the feed board 1) is lifted by the lever 11 and the cam n the finger n fixed to the framing lifts the clamp by pressing upon the crank lever n so that the clamp is held up in this position to enable the foil to get under it. As the feed board is lowered the clamp 11. is permitted to fall so as to press upon the tin foil by its weight, so as to prevent the foil continuing to slide down, and the gripper m Fig. 11 of the feed board then seizes and draws it through against the resistance of the weight of the clamp.

By the present improvements, a is the lifting and descending roof to the said horizontal race or tunnel with a fixed under plate a andliits by a cam a and a lever a At the same time an under door or barrier b pivots on the center I) and has a tooth gear b at the 0011- lion as shown in dotted lines Fig. 1-1.

placed that they hold each package as it enters the said tunnel, thus enabling the said packets to be held and to receive a definitely shaped corner to the same.

The under formed pusher c at its first position, when it rises, (Fig. 13) forms a barrier or door at the mouth of the race. A fresh charge of cigarettes has been pressed under the plunger upon atin foil as per the dcscription in No. 770427 oi: 1904. The plunger q, (Fig. 11), descends together with the table d the latter being relieved by the cam d so that it may fall together with the main plunger. The cigarettes are thus enfoldcd in the tin foil with the two sides perpendicularly upstanding on the sides of the matrix.

The gripper as described in No. 770427 of 1904 has one end m made solid while the other end m terminates in a spring. In case of particles of tobacco or other material upon the tin foil, if these particles come under the solid end, the gripper holds by the spring, and vice versa if the particles are under the spring side, the said spring yields and'allows the solid side to come down on to the foil.

i A hinged. plate (5 stands upright by the side ofthe matrix and is caused to fall over the packet, by levers e and a cam e which causes the upright flap to be bent down ovorthc packet making a second i'old. It rises again under the recoil of a suitable springs. The width of this plate is sullicient to nearly reach over the whole extent of the packet to insure a flat upper surface and to put back into position any cigarettes that may have risen. The height of this plate is suflicient to bring it up to the top of the sliding die plate. It is therefore moved by a separate mechanism rather than as heretofore by the horizontal moving die plate .1. The pusher f pushed as described in No. 770427 of 1904 .by the traveling die plate ,t is now pushed forward causing the narrow steel fingers f to enter ovcr the surface of the packet and under rccessesf (Fig. 10) in the upper flap 6 whenthis latter is pressed down. 7

A depending steel shicld 9, see Figs. 1 and 15, is provided on the side of the matrix causing the third fold of the cigarettes as it is forced under this shield. This shield is not quite down to the ultimate level of tho package, which will allow any irregularly shaped cigarctte to pass under it, thus forming only a loose fold in the upper tin foil.

The under pusher c as shown in Fig. 13 stands Willi its upright tongue forming one side of the matrix.

' From this point'it is pushed along horizontally, the roof a being lifted by a cam a and the lover a'-'. If

there is a second case before the present one, it pushes this second packet towards the out-flow. This movemcnt of a is produccd by astud c engaged in the traveling die plate at which moves by the cam r and the lover S and after some lost motion in the recess r'- strikes the front end c of the bar ebringing it forward and through the space of one packetf- During this time the plunger f carrying the stool fingers f presses on the first closed packet to follow the bare. At this point the sustaining bar 0 is allowed to dropround the center 0 by the lover c" and-the cam c as shown in Fig. 14. Upon the return of the sliding die plate 11* while the bar 0 is held below the position of the packets, the stud r" c\ 'cnt ually s1 rikcs back against the end 0" of the sliding bar 1" which brings this bar towards its first original posilhc sustaining stones bracket of is here-lifted up by the lever 'c and the cam c bringing up the bar 0 to its first position as shown in 13. This pusher c'has two side.projections c c which-asthey come under the partly open ends of the packets iIi-its first moved position, receive a blow from the cam by means of the detent c causing them to rise up to the unfolded ends by the action of the spring 0 and thus to press them home upon the side tuckers c and so complete the bottom fold.

As the roof a falls upon the packet the under guard i1 rises by the interaction of the cog-teeth b so as to remain at the entrance to the tunnel, which thus prevents any loose cigarettes from falling back into the matrix in case, a sheet of foil has not been introduced under the cigarettes when they enter the matrix. The under pusher 0 now pushes the cigarette packet forward to. the next position the roof a being lifted and the side folds being folded by the side levers as per the description in No. 770427 of 1904. The cigarette packet being held in the next position in the race by the next descent of the roof :1, the side folds are closed by the upward thrust upon them of the tuckers as per the description in the said Patent No. 770427 of 1904. This completes the entire folding of the packet, which is then eventually forced out of the race by the fresh access of another packet through the matrix or by the thrust of the bar 0.

Where the foil or other material is resilient, -I arrange the side folders as shown in No. 770427oi 1904 with a cup-shaped projection h see Fig. 15, which comes home upon the edges of the race and the base, so as to obtain a nip orraised edge on the foil along the edges of the ends of the packages, thus making a permanent fold.

A fixed plate g isprovided with lengthy plates passing thrpugh the moving roof a of so narrow a width that when pressing down the ioil tothe required size of package an irregularly shaped cigarettewill pass under such lengthy plates without tending to be rolled'up upon its neighbor. In the portion of these lengthy plates first presented to the cigarette packet as at g p Fig. 15, they are raised above the normal level of the cigarettes, but in the latter portion of these plates covering the second position of the packet in the tunnel they are brought down absolutely to the normal level.

The upper roof a of the tunnel when descending upon the top of the package smooths all irregularities in the foil and holds the package against the. withdrawal of the recedingpusher and fingers f which is withdrawn to clear thematrix for the next arrival of a package.

' Toavoid the accumulation oiuiust of tobacco among the working parts, I mount the under platform d upon the ends of horizontal parallel bars 1" i so without fixed sliding ways as heretofore the said parallel bars serve. to maintain the vertical ascent oi the table (I when pushed upwards by a roller 1? and the cam (1. Furthei',,I arrange all the end folding mechanism and levers upon standards lain a deep box k forming a shallow moved by the operation of the 'foot, having a slotted carnl, which, by the vertical movement of the pedal, pulls. the lever 1 turning on its center 2 in such a 'way, as to withdraw the clutch l horizontally from its engagement with the driving pulley l Inthis machine the loading chamber under the packing plunger is open to the observation of the operator, by placing the guide m for the plunger. q at the back of the plunger relatively to the operator.

Having now described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 2- 1. In a cigarette wrapping machine in combination, a main shaft, a cam thereon, a lifting lever moving about a center operated by the said earn, a race, a movable roof to the said.race forming part of the said lever, transverse under projections on said roof making a joint upon the packets, the said roof being lifted by the said cam to admit sliding movement of the packets thereunder.

2. In a cigarette wrapping machine, in combination, a main shaft having operative means thereon, a-race, a movable roof to the said race operated from the said shaft, a lever carrying the said roof, and an under bar carrying fingers, affording a stop mutualiy'geared with the said lever of the extended roof to keep the cigarettes in the p I said race when the foil is not fed.

3. In a cigarette wrapping machine, in combination,v a main shaft having a cam thereon, a lever operated by said cam and attached to the sliding plate, a. sliding plate receiving motion therefrom, a race, an underlipusher having projecting fingers to push the packet Iromone-position to the next, a projecting stop from the sliding' plate engaging with lost motion with the said under pusher, and means for lowering the said pusher on the return stroke to clear the packet.

4. In a cigarette wrapping machine, in combination a race, a movable roof thereto, a fixed plate above the said roof having three projections downwards, which pass to either side of the said roof, their lower edges forming a guide in the race to the passing packets,-- efir'st parts of the said edges being above the.normalf l el ofc the cigarettes, and the latter part of the said edges'being brought down to the normal level of the packed cigarettes.

5. In a cigarette wrapping machine, combination, a main shaft with a sliding plate, a race, bell cranks operated by said sliding plate, side pressers on each side of said race operated by said bell cranks, a fixed plate above the race, an under fixed plate below the race the faces of such presser plates-being furnished with projections'udapted to slightly enter between'the fixed plate above the race and the under fixed plate below the race, thus entering onto the packet so as to form a complete nip to the ends of the covering material.-

6. In a cigarette wrapping machine, ln.comblnation, a race, a fixed plate above the said race, and a spring shield fixed tothe .frontoi' the said flxed plate above the said race, whose lower edge does not come down to the final level of the finished package to make the third fold, and

'thus to permit the passage of slightly distorted goods.

7. In a cigarette wrapping machine, in combination, an upper slotted table, a matrix therein, a main shaft with cams on it, a hingediolding plate pivoted to the side of the matrix, operated by a earn from the said shaft, of such a length so us to reach up to the top level of the said slotted table, an under pusher with raised platesto push the made packet, and a separate mechanism bringing down the said folding plate over all the cigarettes and holding same in position, until the plates on under pusher engage the packets.

8. In' a cigarette wrapping machine, in combination, n. main shaft having cums thereonja sliding plate receiving motion therefrom, a race, a matrix a hinged folding plate by sidebf matrix, a main pusher fixed to the sliding plate, the said pusher by the action oi. the said plate pushes the cigarettes towards the exit in the race, a hinged folding plate pivotally fixed to the side of matrix, thin projecting fingers upon the said main pusher, sliding in recesses under the hinged folding plate, and a movable roof to the said race operated by the said shaft and cam, so as to come down on the cigarette packets to 'retain the same while the pusher retires.

9. In a cigarette wrapping machine in combination a race, a main shaft with a cam thereon, an under bar lifted by the said cam to come up at the end of said'race said cam having a recess therein to allow said bar to fall-and to lift again, when the point of the bar is under the cigarette case, a sliding plate with a projection thereon to operate the said under bar, tuckers situated on either-side of the said race, andflat fingers 'upon the said under bar adapted to be lowered by engagement with the said cam recess and to be afterwards lifted by the subsequent level of the cam to permanently fold the said cover against the underside of the said tucker-s.

10. In combination with a cigarette wrapping machine, a'main shaft, a cam thereon giving movement to an under reciprocating moving platform, a matrix, a moving plat form forming the floor to the matrix, two parallel horizontal levers, forming a parallel motion to keep the said moving platform vertical without a fixed bearing.

11. In a cigarette wrapping machine, in combination, a tunnel a fixed floor to the machine, an adjoining floor fixed thereto under the said tunnel with apertures through it, an under box side tuckers and folders mounted upon standards in the under box, the said under box forming a shallow tray for the accumulation of dust.

12. In a cigarette wrapping machine, in combination, a main shaft; a cam thereon, means for wrapping a package with foil, means for makinga nip upon the ends of the foil coveringthe package to prevent the foil opening out again after it leaves the machine and means controlled by said cam for operating the said nipping means from themain shaft of the machine.-

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this. specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED GODFREY.

Witnesses:

JOHN C. FELL, CHARLES CARTER. 

